Let It Go

1.

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Meredith ambled along what was called 'The Corner' from what she understood. It wasn't a corner exactly. More like a long strip of off beat shops, bars, and restaurants, the University of Virgina campus and then the medical center making up the other side of the street. Grounds, she corrected herself. UVA didn't have a campus. They had grounds according to the guide book she'd picked up about Charlottesville but would never admit to owning because she liked to think she was being fearless and explorative in this new town in the beginning of a new phase of her otherwise boring life. Calling it grounds sounded rather snobbish to her. But the people were overly nice. She didn't get it.

She stopped and peered down the old brick sidewalk. The sidewalk and shops were on a downward sloap which turned upwards again farther down. Blue and orange littered the scene - students in bright orange shirts that said 'Orange Fever' - whatever that meant - on them, a small blue tent set up outside a store called 'Mincer's' that looked like it sold only UVA apparel that had UVA knick knacks under it and signs announcing a sale. Everwhere she looked her eyes would fall on a 'V' with two sabers crossed under it. She gathered that was UVA's logo. Charlottesville was definitely a college town.

She started walking again, glad to see a Starbucks. They truly were everywhere. She passed a record store, a vintage clothing store, a bar with it's giant windows wide open as the sounds of a DJ cranking out tunes wafted out into the street. Farther up the street she stopped at a mexican restaurant. The smells coming out to her through the propped open doors - propped open by stones with the 'V' and sabers painted on them she noticed - were enticing and the food people were devouring on the small patio looked great. And they used Corona bottles as salt and pepper shakers. Her mind was made up. She was grabbing a bite to eat there before she explored any father.

************

"You can't make assumptions Mark. It's June. Training camp doesn't start until August. It's too early to make assumptions," Derek argued. Mark Sloan turned up his Bud Light. It felt just like college - him and his best friend, sitting at the bar of one of their favorite bars on the Corner. "You saw the spring game. They stunk up the field worse then rotten eggs left under sister's pillows." Derek chuckled a bit. "That was pretty great wasn't it?" he asked, remembering a prank he and Mark had pulled on one of his sisters back in the day. One that had landed them both in a heap of trouble but was still funny nontheless.

"Yeah, it was. But come on Shep. The quarterback is questionable. He had wrist surgery back in December and since he just taped himself up and played with it injured most all of last season rather then telling anyone he was hurt, it was a pretty bad injury that's taking longer to heal then expected. They don't really have a back up guy..." "What about that incoming freshman from Western? He's a big deal apparently," Derek interrupted. "Key word in that sentence? Freshman." "Gotta start somewhere..." Derek muttered.

"Like I was saying, the quarterback is questionable. We've got some depth at runningback but unless the offensive line had their balls replaced in the offseason and come back able to play some football, that does us no good. Our best wide receiver tore his ACL practically in two during spring practice. He's done. He's not going to make it back this fall. Defense... Defense has potential. I don't have too many complaints there really. But an okay defense and a shitty offense don't win games," Mark finished, proud of himself.

"They're going to surprise us this year," Derek said. He said it every year. And every year, UVA didn't surprise anyone. They lived right up to their mediocre at best reputation. Just once, he would love to see his football team win the ACC title. Or beat Tech. Or both. If he had to choose though, he'd take a 1 and 11 season, as long as that one win was a win over Virginia Tech. He really didn't think it was too much to ask. It had been far too long since a win over the Hokies had graced the Cavaliers.